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At the Araneta Coliseum in Manilla, Phillipines, Manny Pacquiao hopes to impress an adoring hometown crowd when he puts his WBC International Super Featherweight title at risk against former longtime WBC 122 lbs Champion Oscar Larios. Larios, 53-4-1 (36), is the latest in a series of top Mexican fighters that Pacquiao has faced over the last couple of years and despite jumping up two weight divisions to face “Pac-man”, may represent the biggest threat of all to the Filipino superstar.
Pacquiao, 41-3-2 (33), is coming off a masterful dismantlement of Erik Morales this past January but has endured multiple distractions since that time. Aside from a legal battle that erupted between different factions of his handlers, Pacquiao also may be distracted from the fact that he is the promoter of this fight card and from talk of a third bout with Morales this coming Autumn.
If Pacquiao can remained focused on Larios, he’ll no doubt try to steamroll the lanky Mexican but Larios is known for his high volume style and despite the numerous bouts on his resume hasn’t seen the same kind of withering careers that both Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera endured before facing the heavy handed Filipino southpaw.
Regardless of the variables, this will be a barnburner for as long as it lasts.
